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Saturday, January 31, 2015

For this seventh and final day of Sushi Week, it’s time to visit
Japan. This time, although the rolls themselves are interesting, the really
interesting part is the dipping sauce. It’s traditional Kabayaki sauce, meant
to dress up tofu or veggies (or meat). But it makes an exceptional dipping
sauce, so I present it here for your pleasure.

Make the Kabayaki sauce first, or while your rice is
cooling.

Kabayaki Sauce for One

This makes about ½ a cup, so you’ll want to use it for dips,
dressings, and coating your tofu.

¼
cup tamari or soy sauce

¼
cup mirin

2
TBLSP granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring them to
a boil and then turn down the heat.

Simmer on low heat for a few minutes. When
it thickens a bit, take it off the heat, after about 20 minutes, depending on the
intensity of your stove.

Vinegared Rice

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Friday, January 30, 2015

For this sixth day of Sushi Week, I thought I’d twist away
from what you expect sushi to be. The first one, Root and Sproot Sushi, is root
vegetables and other favorite foods, and the second one involves chocolate!
That’s right! Dessert sushi! Exclamation points!

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

For this fifth day of Sushi Week, Today's offerings might be a little stereotypical: Los Angeles
Sushi and Ninja Sushi. The first is crunchy and moist and the second will make
you feel like you could surprise your cat in the dark.

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.

Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

For this fourth day of Sushi Week, I offer you Italian Sushi
and Russian Sushi. Oh I know these are not nations you think of immediately
when you think of sushi, but give it a moment. Wouldn’t nori and a little
vinegared rice add some nice complimentary flavors to, say an Alfredo sauce?
And beets and sour cream are a given, so don’t wait. Just try it!

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

For this third day of Sushi Week, I offer you German and
Greek Sushi. The first is substantial and rather stereotypical and the other is
a play on Spanakopita, one of my favorite foods from any culture.

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Monday, January 26, 2015

For this second day of Sushi Week, I offer you American East
Coast Sushi and French Sushi. One is a study in sturdy food, and the other, a
collection of delicate flavors.

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on
your own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice. Make wide Zs over and over in the
rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until it’s thoroughly
combined and the vinegar has all been absorbed.

Wait until the rice is COMPLETELY COOLED.

Tra-la-la

I’m not going to repeat rolling instructions. If you need
them, here’s a link to Day 1, which has instructions.

Let’s take a look at the interesting part, the fillings.

When I think of the East Coast, I think of history and
sporting events. And in France, I think of elegance, fancy sauces, and a
certain distinctive precision during prep in the kitchen. How does that
translate to sushi?

Sunday, January 25, 2015

My definition of “sushi” might be somewhat loose. It’s
mostly a wrap with a nice dipping sauce, I suppose, although there is a strong
tendency for nori (seaweed) and sweet sushi rice. But I thought it would be fun
to take sushi around the world and see what happens.

For Day 1 of Sushi Week, I’m going to start at the beginning
of the alphabet of my collection of Sushi around the world. Go ahead—cross some
borders!

You’ll need a standard amount of sushi rice for two rolls,
but the filling amounts are too small to worry about. You have fun with it on your
own!

½ cup
sushi rice (small grain, white rice)

1 cup
of water

1
teaspoon granulated sugar

1/8
cup rice vinegar

Nori
sheets for wrapping makis

Cook the rice in the water. Watch it, because small amounts
of rice like this will suddenly be cooked and burning! Put it into a
medium-sized bowl.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Using a
sweeping motion with the rice paddle, pour the vinegar solution over the cooked
rice, smooshing the vinegar into the rice with the paddle. Make wide Zs over
and over in the rice, occasionally bringing the bottom rice up to the top until
the sweet vinegar is thoroughly combined.

Wait until the rice is COMPLETELY COOLED. Don't put it in the refrigerator, though. It gets an unpleasant stiffness to the rice if you do.

Tra-la-la

Now, let’s get to the wrapping. I’ve provided two methods
for wrapping: the Old-Fashioned method and the one for klutzes, like me.

Old-Fashioned Normal Person Method:

Cover a sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap and place a
sheet of nori on it.

Put about half of the rice on the nori sheet close to the
bottom edge and smoodge it flat to cover about ¾ of the sheet. It will be
sticky. Getting your hands damp helps with that.

Line up your fillings in a neat little row near the bottom
of the rice. You’ll want to pile it as neatly and horizontally as possible.

Pick up the edge of the mat and roll the nori and rice up
inch by inch, using the mat to help you keep it tight. Pause often to make sure
it’s really tight and resettle the roll on the mat. Keep rolling until you’re
finally through the whole roll. Stop just short of rolling it the last little
bit.

Take some of the remaining rice and smoosh it thoroughly
against the edge of nori to act as glue, and then finish rolling the maki up.

Place the roll on a piece of plastic wrap and slice it in
half (the short way, silly, unless you’re going to do something fancy). Slice
each of those halves in half, and then cut those halves too. You should have
eight pieces of sushi.

Cover a sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap and place a
sheet of nori on it.

Dampen the bottom of the device and smoodge about ¼ of the
rice into it. It will be sticky. Dampening your hands will help with that.

Line your fillings up and put another quarter of the rice on
top of them into the nifty device. Smoosh the top of the device down on the
rice and push hard! It should squish out a bit at the sides.

Take the top off the device and turn the contraption and its
contents upside-down onto a blank piece of nori, quite near the bottom, but not
quite at it.

Push the rest of the device carefully off of the rice so
that you have a tidy little rice log on the nori sheet.

Pick up the edge of the mat and roll the nori and rice log
up inch by inch, using the mat to help you keep it tight. Pause often to make
sure it’s really tight and resettle the roll on the mat. Keep rolling until
you’re finally through the whole roll. Stop just short of rolling it the last
little bit.

Take some of the remaining rice and smoosh it thoroughly
against the edge of nori to act as glue, and then finish rolling the maki up.

Place the roll on a piece of plastic wrap and slice it in
half (the short way, silly, unless you’re going to do something fancy). Slice
each of those halves in half, and then cut those halves too. You should have
eight pieces of sushi.

Now, then, on to flavors. Today’s are American South and Algerian.
I’ve never been to either place, but I'm told that their food is distinctive.

American South Sushi:
Watermelon, cantaloupe, and mint with a lemon and powdered sugar dipping sauce.

I surrounded mine with figs because, you know, figs.

Algerian Sushi:
Grated carrot, avocado, steamed spinach, with rice on the OUTSIDE of the nori
sheet and flipped over. Then I made the inside log of rice and goodies, rolled it up
inside, and draped cooked sweet potato over the top. This one I dipped into traditional wasabi-laden soy sauce.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

This little pie is just right for when you want to treat
yourself. It’s easy to make—the only hard part is waiting for it to solidify.
Oh, and you can put just about any kind of fruit in there, but I’ve found that
fresh is best.

For the Crust:

¼ cup raw almonds

3 TBLSP dates, pitted and chopped a little

1 ½ TBLSP unsweetened coconut

A pinch of salt

1 ½ TBLSP coconut oil

For the Filling:

2 TBLSP coconut oil

½ a large banana

2 TBLSP maple syrup

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¾ TBLSP unsweetened cocoa powder

For the Fruit Surprise (optional):

Three
small strawberries OR five raspberries, some chopped mango, chopped pineapple

Additional chopped or sliced fruit for decoration.

Make the Crust:

Pulse the almonds in a food processor or blender until
crumbly. Add the dates, coconut, salt, and coconut oil, and pulse until it’s
smooth.

Press the dough into a ramekin so that it lines the bottom
and sides. You’ll want it to be evenly thick all the way around, but with a
nice big space in the middle for the filling. (If there’s extra dough, make
balls out of it for a snack later.)

Make the Filling

Melt the coconut oil. You can put it in the microwave for 10
seconds or put it ever-so-briefly on the stove. Sometimes, just cupping your
nice warm hands around the measuring cup is enough to melt it.

Place the melted coconut oil, banana, syrup, vanilla, and
cocoa powder in the food processor and whirl until it’s smooth.

Assemble the Pie:

If you’re making a pretty surprise fruit center, place the
fruit attractively in the bottom of the pie crust.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. It’s soupy now, but it
will be like a very stiff pudding when it hardens. Give the bottom of the
ramekin a sharp tap on the counter, to make sure any bubbles are gone and that
the filling has settled into all the nooks and crannies.

Make the top pretty, whether that’s by swirling the
chocolate filling or by ornamenting with cut fruit.

Monday, January 19, 2015

As I understand it, a bunch of greens melted down with a few
amendments is called a “mess” in the American South, as in “a mess of greens,” and
served up with other main courses. I like this simple treat well enough to make
a main dish out of it.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

This is one of my go-to recipes. I make big batches of it
and use it in burritos, on noodles and rice, and as an element in lasagna. But
you don’t have to make a big batch. You could make just enough for one!

A
slosh of olive oil

2
slices of yellow onion, diced

2
mushrooms, sliced

¼
cup ground seitan (I like Yves brand, but there are lots of good ones)

1
clove garlic, diced

2
TBLSP diced fresh basil

2
TBLSP diced fresh coriander

Sliced
olives (optional)

I
cup fresh spinach

Salt
and pepper to taste

In a skillet, soften the onion and mushrooms in the olive
oil over medium-high heat. They don’t have to be all the way soft, but maybe
two-thirds, about five minutes.

Add in the ground seitan, breaking it up with a wooden
spoon, the garlic, the basil and the coriander. Cook until the seitan is warmed
through and the herbs have softened.

Add the olives and spinach, and stir, cooking until the
spinach is wilted.

Salt and pepper to taste. I like to wait until I've done whatever variation I'm going to do with it because there's plenty of salt in most faux cheeses, etc.

Variations:

Top noodles with scrumble and a blop of faux sour cream.

Mix a TBLSP of fresh pesto with a TBLSP of faux sour cream
and use it as a sauce for a burrito or taco. If you’re making a taco, you’ll
want avocado slices, sprouts, red or green onions diced, and perhaps some daiya
(or other faux) cheese.

Top noodles or rice
with scrumble and some daiya (or other faux) cheese.

Make a layer of scrumble in your lasagna.

Eat it straight out of a bowl just as it is. Or top with
faux cheese.

Make a Strata with quinoa or rice, roasted veggies, Scrumble, and faux cheese, and bake it for 30 minutes in the oven.

Make a pizza out of it. In the photo, I used a nice spinach
(gluten-free) tortilla, but you could also use proper pizza dough.

Monday, January 12, 2015

I'm not normally a cornbread fan, but this quick little
bread makes the perfect side dish for soup or salad. You can make it plain and
simple or you can amend it with herbs, like cumin, Chinese five spice, fennel,
or garlic and oregano. Cumin gives it a slightly Mexican spin, five spice is
slightly Chinese, fennel is slightly Nordic, and garlic and oregano, slightly
Italian.

Slosh
of apple cider vinegar

½
cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

6
TBLSP finely ground white or yellow cornmeal, or corn flour

¼
cup all-purpose flour

Pinch
of baking soda

Dash
of salt

1
½ TBLSP granulated sugar

½
TBLSP canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two
ramekins or one small loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar and milk together, and
set it aside to curdle.

In another small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour,
baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Add the oil to the vinegar and milk, and then add the wet
ingredients to the dry, stirring until it’s well combined.

Put the mixture into your baking vessel and bake for 30
minutes, until the top is firm and the edges are beginning to brown.

Let it cool before removing it from the pan and devouring.

Seen here with a blop of vegan cream cheese and some
left-over cranberry sauce. It’s also good on its own, or with vegan butter or
lemon curd.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

I love my waffle iron. I flatten tofu in it, I make grilled
cheese sandwiches on the flat side of the plate, and, of course, I make
waffles. And I love to smother waffles in seasonal fruit. Don’t you? This little treat tastes just like banana bread. From the waffle iron. Yay!

½
ripe banana, mashed

6
½ TBLSP non-dairy milk

2
teaspoons coconut oil

A
splash of vanilla extract

2
½ TBLSP all-purpose flour

1
½ TBLSP whole wheat flour

½
teaspoon baking powder

Dash
of salt

Two
dashes of cinnamon

Preheat waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine bananas, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until lump-free.

Drop the batter onto the hot waffle iron, spreading it out
if necessary, and close the iron. When the light comes back on, check it
carefully for doneness and pull it out when the waffle is golden brown.

Serve with walnuts and sliced banana (you have the other
half of the one you mashed), and agave nectar or maple syrup.

Now add in the oil, molasses, water, sugar, and ginger, and
stir until completely combined.

Put the very sticky dough into the ramekin, pushing it into
all the corners. You might need to wet your fingers slightly to get the top
smooth and to really push the dough into the ramekin and have it stay there.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center comes out dry.

Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before pulling it out of
the ramekin and devouring.

Heat the oil in a sauce pot over medium heat, and add in the
onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until the onions begin to soften, about 4
minutes.

Add the parsnip, carrot, squash, lentils, water/stock and
milk, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer until the
lentils are cooked through, about 40 minutes. (You could also use pre-cooked
lentils, and just add them after the veggies are softened, about 20 minutes.)

Use an immersion blender or regular blender to grind up
about half of the soup. You still want some nice lumps, so if using an
immersion blender, exercise some self-restraint.

Add the tofu, miso, and cilantro, and return to a serving
temperature. Add salt, if necessary.

Friday, January 2, 2015

This little treat will keep your insides warm for quite a
long while. It’s surprisingly filling, and it’s based on someone else’s idea of
a Greek classic, avgolemono soup. I thought it tasted nice, but not lemony or
creamy enough to be avgolemono, so I’ll keep working to make that happen.

In a small sauce pan, soften the shallots, carrots, and
garlic in the butter until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the water or broth, rice, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Lower the temperature, and simmer, covered, for 30-35
minutes, or until the rice is cooked through. If all the liquid has evaporated,
you’ll probably want to add a bit more at the end.

In a small bowl, whisk the miso, tahini, and lemon juice
together and add it to the soup, stirring until it’s completely mixed into the soup.

Add the nutritional yeast and dill and give it a good stir.
I like to use the immersion blender with it, but you could certainly leave it
chunky. Add more water or lemon juice (or both) at this point, to taste.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

When my liver failed, I was too sick to chew, certainly too
sick to make food for myself. My friend Mindy came over with this soup and
literally saved my life. She made it by the bucket-load, put it through the
blender, and left enough of it in a thermos to get my strength back in the
right direction, the rest of it in the fridge. I will never tire of this soup,
and because I think of Mindy every time I make it now, I look forward to the
weather being cold enough to warrant it.

1
TBLSP vegan butter

½
leek, chopped into semi-circles

¼
quartered Brussels sprouts

¼
cup diced yellow-fleshed squash, like butternut or Kobucha

¼
carrot, chopped

¼
stalk celery, chopped

¼
cup chopped fennel bulb

Pinch
salt

Several
grinds of fresh pepper

1
small clove garlic, minced

1
½ cup water or vegetable stock

¼
cup chopped Swiss chard or kale (I like red chard, for the color it adds)

Pinch
dried dill

Pinch
of dried marjoram

Pinch
of dried basil

Slosh
of tamari (or soy sauce)

Squeeze
of lemon juice (perhaps a wedge’s worth)

2
TBLSP vegan sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

Sunflower
seeds, for garnish

Minced
fresh parsley, for garnish

In a saucepan, melt/soften/mix the butter, leek, sprouts,
squash, carrot, celery, fennel, salt, pepper, and garlic for about 15 minutes,
until all the veggies are starting to relax.

Add in the water, and bring it to a boil. Lower it to a
simmer, and cook slowly, until everything is tender, about another 10 minutes.

Add Swish chard or greens, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add dill, marjoram, basil, tamari, and lemon juice, and
simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.

If you choose to add the sour cream or yogurt, do it once
the soup is in the bowl, giving it a good stir to make it creamy. Garnish with
sunflower seeds and parsley.

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About Me

I've been a vegetarian in some form or other since I was a teenager. I never liked meat (especially red meat), and I won the battle with my mother when I was 17. Now, back then, you have to realize, it was hard to get tofu or other non-animal proteins in a regular grocery store, so although my general health improved (I stopped getting colds and flus, and I gained enough weight to stop looking like a holocaust survivor), I started having digestive problems.

Western doctors knew even less about nutrition than they know now, Mine suggested that I eat chicken or fish about twice a month to keep my body's own enzymes and acids to a decent level, and then stress wouldn't send me into such a miserable zoo of pain. So I did it. It worked pretty well for quite a while. But in 2006, I went vegan, now that it's easy enough to get non-animal proteins.

Now I'm starting a third blog, on vegan cooking for one (or two). It started with coming home from rehearsal and wanting just one cookie. But then it got fun--what else could I make that didn't involve leftovers, or, in the case of baked goods, guilt for eating the whole batch. And I thought I'd share this collection of recipes that I've accumulated.